Genetic Engineering Benefits

The fast progress that was achieved in the field of genetic research and genetic engineering, cell biology and molecular biochemistry, biophysics, microbiology have favored the development of biotechnology that opened up vast possibilities for future benefits, competitive advantage, growth and development opportunities.

Compared with traditional methods of improvement, genetically transformations by genetic engineering present at least two advantages: first of all they offer the possibility of introducing a single character to a variety already evaluated by performance and second, the transferred gene can come from any source, which extends, at least in theory, to unlimited possibilities for improvement.

Linking industry with agriculture, biotechnology created, through genetic engineering techniques, improved plants and animals. There were obtained plants resistant to herbicides and pesticides, plants that produce a wide range of chemicals needed to manufacture drugs or important substances for human food or livestock feed. Genetic engineering techniques contribute to substantial increase in food production and, in particular, protein substances that poor countries lack.

The most important discovery in human genetic studies is the stem cells which are continuously researched in laboratories for fighting the battle with cancer and other incurable diseases. The stem cells are known to be the cells that through mitotic division have the capacity to divide into 2 separate cells or a division of cells. The capacity of the stem cells to give birth to another identical living cell is called self-renewal.

Along the years, through genetic engineering techniques they were obtained many aliments or modified and much improved products such as: drought and pest resistant plants, grains with increased protein content, gluten-free grains, rice high in vitamin A, plants without allergenic proteins such as kiwi without the allergens protein, increased amount of lecithin that is usually present in egg yolk and soybeans, and other genetically modified food enriched with vitamins and flavorings.